11/28/2006

UCTP News - Today at the United Nations a non-action motion resolution put forth by African States, seeking to block the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was voted upon and approved. According to preliminary reports a majority of Nation States, 82 voted in favor of the resolution proposed by the African Group with 67 States voting not in favor and 25 Nation States abstaining.

While fierce opposition to the Declaration was openly declared by New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and the United States, around the world Indigenous Peoples were shocked and outraged by the action of African States, most of whom had chosen not to participate throughout this standard-setting process.

"Considering that we have entered the Second UN International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, an initiative based on the theme ‘action with dignity’, the hijacking of the Declaration is an utter disgrace.” stated Roberto Mucaro Borrero (Taino), Chairman of the NGO Committee on the United Nations International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which represents more than 20 years of work within the UN, was acknowledged to constitute the minimum standards for their survival, dignity and well-being.

Grand Chief Ed John, of the Assembly of First Nations, stated “Today is a very sad day for the United Nations and a very serious setback for the integrity of the newly formed Human Rights Council who urged the General Assembly to formally adopt this historic document. It now appears that the most likely outcome will be that the United Nations never formally adopts the Declaration. This is a remarkable and bizarre development.”

Adopted in June of this year, the Declaration was considered a substantial achievement of the Human Rights Council.

In a statement issued by the Indigenous Peoples Caucus at the United Nations, the group clearly noted that "these actions are a politicization of human rights that show complete disregard for the ongoing human rights abuses suffered by Indigenous Peoples. This betrayal and injustice severely impacts 370 million Indigenous people in all regions of the world, who are among the most marginalized and vulnerable."

This book highlights the variety of research conducted on the island's prehistoric sites and artefacts. The text is a compilation of thirteen articles, five of which have been previously published but not widely available. The remaining eight new articles are based on archaeological research within the last five years. The book will appeal to a wide audience of archaeologists, historians, students of archaeology and anyone interested in Jamaica's history.

11/25/2006

MEXICO CITY, Nov 16 (IPS) - In Latin America and the Caribbean, one-third of childhood deaths are the result of diarrhoea. The problem could be resolved with clean water and appropriate sanitation systems, but millions of people, especially the indigenous and Afro-descendant populations, lack access to either.

Statistics for the region show that coverage of water and sanitation services is among the best in the world. But the figures can be misleading.

Although 91 percent of the region's population does have access to potable water, there are still 50 million people who don't, and 34 million live in rural areas. As for sanitation, coverage reaches 77 percent, but 103 million people lack access to that service.

Those shortfalls are behind the majority of diarrhoea-based illnesses, which today are the second leading cause of infant mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean, after respiratory infections.

Worldwide, 1.8 million children die each year from diarrhoea, which proves more deadly than tuberculosis, malaria or HIV/AIDS.

"For the children who don't have water and sanitation, the future is poverty and illness, and will probably follow them the rest of their lives," Liliana Carvajal, one of the authors of the 2006 Human Development Report, presented Nov. 9 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), told Tierramérica.

The report states that "clean water and sanitation are among the most powerful preventative measures for child mortality." And that investment in this area "is to killer diseases like diarrhoea what immunisation is to measles -- a lifesaver."

Halving the proportion of people without access to potable water and basic sanitation is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations, with the deadline of 2015.

Latin America and the Caribbean are well on their way to meeting that goal. But it will only be in terms of averages, because millions of people will still lack access to those services.

"We can't be shouting victory, because there are specific cases that are very complicated," said Carvajal.

"It is no longer ethically or politically acceptable to use averages as indicators of the level of compliance with the MDGs, because they hide very difficult realities," says Nils Katsberg, Latin America and Caribbean director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The fact is that the people who live in rural areas and are indigenous or of African descent -- in other words, some 200 million of the approximately 523 million people in the region -- face serious obstacles in achieving the levels of development set by the MDGs, Katsberg told Tierramérica.

"There is still much to be done, especially with the children," he added.

One-third of Latin America's rural residents do not have safe sources of drinking water, and more than half do not have adequate sanitation facilities, according to UNDP studies.

In Bolivia, 95 percent of the urban population utilise potable water sources, but in the countryside the proportion is just 68 percent. As for sanitation services, access is 58 percent for the urban dwellers and 23 percent for rural residents, according to the agency's figures.

Only 54 percent of Bolivian children under age five who suffer diarrhoea receive oral rehydration treatment. In neighbouring Brazil, where there is greater coverage of both sanitation services (75 percent) and potable water services (90 percent), such treatment reaches just 28 percent of young children with diarrhoea.

In Guatemala, where 95 percent of the population has access to sources of clean or treated water, just 22 percent of children with diarrhoea receive rehydration treatment.

The reverse is true in Haiti. There, only 54 percent of the population has access to potable water and just 30 percent have sanitation services, but 41 percent of children under five with diarrhoea receive treatment.

"A child born without access to water and sanitation is going to have constant cases of diarrhoea, which will affect the immune system. The child will have anemia, which will affect schooling, and the child will learn less," said development expert Carvajal.

"It is a cycle of poverty that will follow the child for the rest of her life," she added.

The Human Development Report, which the UNDP has published annually since 1990, emphasises that investment in water and sanitation would save millions of lives, but also stresses that improved services would be of great economic benefit.

Universal access to potable water and sanitation services would reduce the financial burden of the health systems in developing countries by an estimated 1.6 billion dollars annually.

In countries like Nicaragua, clean water would cut diarrhoea cases by more than 20 percent; in Peru 15 percent; and in Guatemala nearly 40 percent, according to UNDP.

Latin America and the Caribbean "must make a much greater effort in everything related to water and sanitation in the rural sectors, and put a stop to discrimination against indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in access to those services," said UNICEF's Katsberg.

(*Originally published Nov. 11 by Latin American newspapers that are part of the Tierramérica network. Tierramérica is a specialised news service produced by IPS with the backing of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme.)(FIN/2006)

Founder and President of La Sociedad Arquelogical Ciba de Ciales, and a member of the Consejo General de Tainos Borincanos, Rosado has long advocated that the Caguana site reveals linkages to Mesoamerican styling that dates back some 5,000 years. The Maya and Aztec cultures traditionally venerate the serpent and iguana art styles as symbols of water and fertility. These are two major elements deemed most relevant to the neighboring agrarian societies of the Caribbean and Yucatan. Closely related symbolism is also found in Ohio (USA) in the form of large serpent mounds, which can be viewed clearly from aerial photographs.

Prominent members of Caribbean academia have long dispelled any connection between Taino and Mesoamerican civilizations although documented evidence and geopolitical proximity would suggest otherwise.

For example, the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture (ICPR) and its founder; Dr.Ricardo Alegria, have not fully supported this linkage research although Mesoamerican ties are found in the language, mythology, and cultural lifestylesin Boriken. A few decades ago, Dr. Oswaldo Goyco documented and published some of these influences but was dissuaded from delving further into this theme by members of the island's academic elite.

It would seem that funding polemics and academic politics dictate where Puerto Rico's ancestral legacy begins and ends.

This unfortunate situation is evident in all historical and cultural subject areas as the ICPRs adversarial attitude against any challenges to the accepted position of the academic establishment continues to reveals itself. Beyond academia, the ICPR and its policies continue to discount the call for community participation by local Taino leadership with regard to elements of cultural importance such as indigenous related education, sacred sites preservation, and related national/international indigenous policies.

In response to the ICPR's anti-indigenous position, recent direct actions taken by local Taino leaders such as the 2005 seventeen-day take over of the Caguana Ceremonial park (now known as "El Grito de Caguana") have spawned a growing interest in areas of preserving cultural ancestral lands and sacred indigenous sites among various sectors of the Puerto Rican populace.

These educational initiatives are met however with conquista-like reprisals championed by the ICPR. An ICPR media campaign attempting to defame the character and legitimacy of the local Taino leaders has been initiated by this intergovernmental agency, which continues to reinforce the "Taino extinction myth" despite DNA evidence to the contrary.

The indigenous reclamation of "El Grito de Caguana" and Robinson Rosado’s recent presentation suggesting a greater Mesoamerican linkage at Caguana are intricately related. Both events represent aspects of indigenous culture and heritage that the island's academic elite have not been willing to readily accept.

At a time when conflicting reports involving ICPR and its governmental administrative leadership has created less public confidence in the agency's ability to properly manage and direct elements of its own mandate - notwithstanding Taino culture - it remains to be seen if ICPR will continue to resist or will embrace these emerging challenges to the island's established local history.

11/21/2006

Thanksgiving is the only holiday celebrated in the United States which was inspired by and is a descendant of a celebration practiced for untold centuries by America's first peoples. Of course, this is a holiday with a history and that history includes Native peoples. But Americans know very little about indigenous peoples, even the Natives of the places where they live. And they don't know very much about history, even their own. Therefore, surprisingly few people know where the Thanksgiving tradition comes from or how its modern manifestation became an American tradition and a legal holiday.

The history of Thanksgiving as a legal holiday starts with a sad story. In 1863, following the battle of Gettysburg during the Civil war, President Lincoln visited the battlefield. It was one of the saddest moments in the history of the Republic. Robert E. Lee and the army of the Confederacy had been turned back, but at an almost unbearable cost. Over three days of fighting, some 50,000 Americans were killed. It was the worst loss of American life on the battlefield in history before or since. It is said that its impact was felt in almost every town and village North and South. Lincoln expressed the sentiment that at that moment the country needed something positive to celebrate and asked aides to scour American history for a tradition that could serve the purpose. They did, and they found a day of celebration that had been associated with the Connecticut Puritans early during the 17th century but which had been discontinued by 1863. He thought it was the perfect memorial and ordered a new national holiday: Thanksgiving.

Most Americans' shared version of the origin of Thanksgiving skips over Lincoln and the Gettysburg battlefield and goes directly to the original Puritans, but the story is usually abbreviated. The Puritans survived the first year to enjoy a harvest and decided to do a ceremony they had done at home, the Home Harvest. They then invited the Indians for a feast and the two groups enjoyed turkey, cranberries, and pumpkins. One sees visual representations of this showing the Puritans serving dinner to the Indians, but that's not exactly how it happened. The English at Plymouth had been lucky, very lucky, and had a lot to be thankful for.

The story begins in 1605 when a Wampanoag Indian accompanied a friendly English explorer, John Weymouth, to England. The Indian is known to us today as Squanto and while in England he learned English. He returned to New England but was later captured by an English slaver (the English were big-time slavers for centuries) and sold to the Spanish in the Caribbean. A priest befriended him and helped him get to Spain and later to England where he found Weymouth who paid his way home. While in England he met a Wabanake individual who had traveled with an English explorer, Samoset. Both returned to Patuxet, present-day Plymouth, in 1620 but they found the village deserted because of epidemic disease which was probably introduced by slavers. They went to live in a nearby Wampanoag village.

The following year they were hunting when they came upon the English who had settled at the very spot that Squanto's village had stood. The English were startled to meet Indians who spoke their language. The English were in bad shape, almost half had died over the winter, and they had too few survival skills. Squanto stayed with them for the next few months and taught them how to cultivate corn and beans and to build Indian-style shelters. He brought venison and taught them to dig clams and showed them medicines. By fall, thanks mostly to Squanto, the English were doing much better and they had enough food to last the winter.

The agricultural Indians of the Northeast woodlands, including the Algonkians of which the Wampanoag were members, celebrated the fruits of the harvest and the arrival of the hunting season in November with a feast which included three days of dancing, singing, and speeches of thanksgiving. Indeed, most of the North American Indian cultures had a whole calendar year of ceremonials of thanksgiving. There were six such major ceremonials of thanksgiving among the New England peoples. They told the English about their custom and asked about a joint celebration. The English could remember a similar ceremony, Home Harvest, practiced in England for centuries, and the two had found something they had in common. The English invited the Indians to their town, but when the Indians arrived it was discovered the English didn't have enough food, so the Indians brought venison and vegetables. They would have eaten very much the menu mentioned earlier, except that the first shared Thanksgiving had no turkeys. Those came later. There was also no singing or dancing, the Saints (Puritans) disapproving of such as pleasures even when they were mostly religious. The Indians, we can be certain, thought the Puritans as odd, as we would today. The first Thanksgiving celebrated by Europeans in North America in 1621 was largely supplied by the Indians.

The contemporary Thanksgiving as celebrated by Americans takes place at the same time of year and involves a feast as did the ancient first Americans' thanksgiving harvest celebration, but they are as different in spirit as are these peoples. When Americans are asked what they have to be thankful for, they produce a list of things related to their individual happiness or well being: good health, friends and family, economic well-being, and strong emotional relationships. The English at the first Thanksgiving had reason to express gratitude to their God for their collective survival against difficult odds in a new land, and had they even a trace of self-awareness they might have included Squanto on their list.

The Indians of the time had a different custom. They recognized that life, all life on the planet, is a miracle of good fortune, that it is dependent on numerous components which include earth and vegetation and water and sun and moon and in all a complex order of higher powers and that humans, as a species which is aware of this good fortune, has an obligation to express a collective statement of gratitude in joyous celebration of the good gifts of the powers of the universe. That, for the Indians, was an important part of their "old time religion."

John C. Mohawk Ph.D., columnist for Indian Country Today, is an author and professor in the Center for the Americas at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

11/17/2006

United Nations (UCTP News) – The United Nations Third Committee of the General Assembly is meeting to discuss the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights ofIndigenous Peoples. While many states favor the adoption of the Declaration, several countries such as the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Russia have gone on record to take a hard line approach against it. This group is now being referred to as the CANZUS group.

Within the UN system, Indigenous Peoples have historically counted on African states to support their issues. This dynamic is now shifting as some of the African governments are now tabling a resolution asking for the postponement ofthe Declaration's adoption.

"The African Governments seem to have been pressured by [the CANZUS] group of countries to push their agenda." stated Vicky Tauli-Corpuz,the Chairperson of UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Tauli-Corpuz also noted that "China, India, Philippines, Nepal, etc. spoke in favor of [the Declaration's] adoption but there might still be Asian countries who will support the African resolution."

In a November 15th communication issued by the Indigenous Peoples Caucus at the United Nations, the group states "the world's Indigenous Peoples [are calling] on states from Asia and the Caribbean not to support the procedural motion put forth by the African states to defer the decision on the Declaration.

Lobbying efforts are now being directed toward government capitals to urge them to support a resolution from Peru, co-sponsored by many governments, calling for the adoption of this long awaited human rights document.

The Declaration is described as a "standard of achievement to be pursued in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect".

The Leonids are caused by debris left behind by Comet Temple-Tuttle, a celestial body that orbits the sun every 33 years. This year there could be a big burst of up to 150 meteors per hour on Saturday night. Get details and see Leonid photos.

When and Where to Watch: People in eastern North America could see the burst of meteors starting at 11:45PM ET that night. Meteor activity also occurs for a few nights before and after the peak. Full Story Below, check out photos from previous Leonid meteor showers.

Moderator's note: Celestial activity was and continues to be important to the Taino people and in this context should be observed with reverence.

11/09/2006

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Twenty-one Puerto Rican parrots raised in captivity will be released - a first attempt to create a new population of the threatened species by reintroducing it into an area where it previously existed, U.S. wildlife officials said Wednesday.

The parrots - which are bright green with a red forehead and wings that flash turquoise in flight - will be let go at the Rio Abajo aviary in Utuado on Sunday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement.

The Rio Abajo forest in central Puerto Rico was the last place the parrots were documented in the wild before they sought shelter from humans in the Caribbean National Forest, a mountain rain forest known to Puerto Ricans as El Yunque, said the wildlife service, which has conducted previous releases of the parrots.

The parrot population has suffered at the hands of humans, who snatch them for pets, and from the forces of nature - including hurricanes. It is listed on the World Conservation Union's "Red List" as a threatened species.

The bird - called "Iguaca" by the Taino Indians after the sound of its squawk - was plentiful when Columbus arrived in the Americas and coexisted with a Puerto Rican macaw and parakeet that have since died out.

11/03/2006

Despite much evidence to suggest that the origins of the guanches - the aboriginal inhabitants of the islands before the Spanish conquest - were in the Berber tribes of North Africa, archaeologist, Pablo Novoa, has discovered, during 30 years of study, similarities between indigenous cultures in the Caribbean and the Canary Islands.

In his book about the pre-colombian culture in the Canary Islands, "Los Araguaco-Tainos, una cultura precolombina en Canarias", published by Benchomo, Novoa has tried to demonstrate that contact existed between these cultures.

They could have done it and, there is the fact that the chronicles of Christopher Columbus, tell us that the indigenous populations of Central America has an ample knowledge of navigation. Novoa's theory is based on the analysis of more than 600 items repeated in various locations and, the existence of around 100 aboriginal words that have a similar meaning to those used today by Canary Islanders.

For those who speak Spanish and are also fascinated by this subject, the matter is discussed, at considerable length at El Foro de Canarias. It is an ever repeating theme, but as the first comment in that thread begins, "There is an awful lot unknown about the Guanche reality, very affected by myth." And it is true that most Canarians themselves, know little of their true history, free of myths and legends.

11/01/2006

SANTO DOMINGO. - The National Control Drugs Agency (DNCD) last night seized 18 artisan figures stuffed with cocaine that would’ve been flown to Madrid from the Las Americas International Airport (AILA), in a suitcase if the Spanish citizen Maria de la Soledad Martinez, who was immediately arrested by agents assigned to the terminal.

The clay souvenir Taino figures of different sizes confiscated would’ve been taken to Spain aboard Air Europe flight UX-0088, but were detected when the foreigner’s luggage was inspected.

DNCD spokesman Lebrón Robert said investigators are trying to determine the source of the souvenirs.

During National American Indian Heritage Month, we honor the generations of American Indians and Alaska Natives who have added to the character of our Nation. This month is an opportunity to celebrate their many accomplishments and their rich ancestry and traditions.

America is blessed by the character and strength of American Indians and Alaska Natives, and our citizens are grateful for the countless ways Native Americans have enriched our country and lifted the spirit of our Nation. We are especially grateful for the Native Americans who have served and continue to serve in our Nation's military. These brave individuals have risked their lives to protect our citizens, defend our democracy, and spread the blessings of liberty to people around the world.

My Administration is working to ensure that American Indians and Alaska Natives have access to all the opportunities of this great land. My fiscal year 2007 budget proposes more than $12.7 billion for government programs for Native Americans. Education is vital to ensuring all citizens reach their full potential, and my budget includes funding to help Native-American schools succeed and meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is providing education for approximately 46,000 American-Indian and Alaska-Native children. To help keep Native Americans safe, I have also proposed to increase law enforcement personnel and improve law enforcement facilities in American-Indian communities. My Administration will continue to work on a government-to-government basis with tribal governments, honor the principles of tribal sovereignty and the right to self-determination, and help ensure America remains a land of promise for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and all our citizens.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2006 as National American Indian Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

Two mega-resorts are putting one of the Caribbean's last great unprotected areas at risk. The Northeast Ecological Corridor (NEC), on the eastern corner of the mainland of Puerto Rico, is home to many tropical habitats and endangered species. Help protect the NEC and its ecological wealth by sending an email today.

United Confederation of Taino People Flag

The UCTP flag represents a Unified Taino Nation reaching out in solidarity across the waters in all the sacred directions to our relations on other islands, lands, and beyond. The flag symbol was oringinally created for the UCTP by artist Marie Nanamaguey Crooke. To purchase a high-quality 3ft x 5ft UCTP flag, please click on the flag image above and scroll down the page to the letter "U" for UCTP. Hahom (Thank you)

UCTP Taino News "Did You Know" Files

Cacibajagua Taino Cultural Society

Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples

FAIR USE NOTICE

This online news journal, The Voice of the Taino People Online, contains some copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available here in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Bo'matum (Thank you).

Donate to the Haitian Relief Effort

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization.